Method for monitoring the functions and increasing the operational reliability of a safety-relevant control system

A method for monitoring the functions and increasing the operational reliability of a complex safety-relevant vehicle control system, and for detecting and evaluating system errors,

• the method comprising the steps of:
• detecting a system error and evaluation as a group error,
• bringing about a system degradation corresponding to the group error by restricting system functions,
• localizing the system error and the error source by at least one of the functions out of the group consisting of tests, logical combining of the test results and plausibility considerations, and
• gradually canceling the restrictions of the system functions and enhancing the system availability in dependence on the result of the individual steps for localizing the system error and the error source.

A safety-relevant control system comprising means for monitoring its functions and increasing their operational reliability and for detecting and evaluating system errors,

• the means being capable of performing the steps of:
• detecting a system error and evaluation as a group error,
• bringing about a system degradation corresponding to the group error by restricting system functions,
• localizing the system error and the error source by at least one of the functions out of the group consisting of tests, logical combining of the test results and plausibility considerations, and
• gradually canceling the restrictions of the system functions and enhancing the system availability in dependence on the result of the individual steps for localizing the system error and the error source.